But such evidence as there is points towards “around 1200BCE”. When exactly? It’s hard to say, since modern knowledge of Mediterranean history is murky enough that we can’t even be certain there was a Trojan War to begin with. Troy, as you might expect, covers the Trojan War off of the Iliad, and is therefore set earlier than any other Total War game so far. There are some great audio touches in Troy: the whistly rushy noises javelins make as they sleet past the camera into the backs of terrified shield lads is really one to savour.

There was a lot to enjoy, in short, but I had to work for it. Because while the tactical depth of what I played was impressive, and rooted itself emphatically in its semi-mythical setting, its multi-skilled infantry and attention-demanding heroes required a lot of micromanagement, and punished any forgetfulness on my part with a rapid spiral towards defeat. I've chosen the word 'intrigued' deliberately, here. Total War Saga: Troy is out on August 13th and will be free at launch, and having played a demo battle which pitted Achilles’ Acheans against Hector’s Trojans, I’m intrigued to play more.

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